Improvement in rotary steam-plows



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Letters Patent N 106,441, (lated August 16, 1870.

IMPROVEMENT IN ROTARY 'STEAM-FLOWS.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the s ame I, J AMES T. XVILsoN, of Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented certain Improvements in Rotary Steam-Flows, of whielrthe following is a specification.

The iirst part of my invention relates to the arrangement ofthe shares of a rotary plowy upon its' shaft or vcylinder in longitudinal rows in such manner that the front cutting-edges of' all the shares 1nY each row shall be eqndistant and project in a plane passing through the axisof the shaft or cylY luder. t

The rows are thus parallel to 'each other as well y -as to the axis of the shaft, and the plowshares are -provements in the manner of suspending and of elevating and lowering the plow-shaft or cylinder` of a rotary steam-plow by vvthe usc f arms project` mg. rearwardly on each side of the machine, li'om the axle ot' the,traction-wheels, and carrying curved framesfwhich, extending out behind the locomotive, are securely upheld to sustain the plow-cylinder, by means of a transverse shaft extending lfrom one to thc other, under the rear end of the locomotive, and supported by suitable brackets, in which itis free to revolve. v

The outer curved arms of the frame are slotted toV receive, bearing-blocks or journal-boxes, iu which the gudgeons of the plow-shaft or cylinder are made to revolved., Y .r

lhese journal-boxes slide freely in the slots, said slots being so curved as that when the cylinder islowered suliciently to. cause the plows to enter the ground, the chains by which motion is .imparted to the'cylinder from suitable cog-wheels on the driving- `axle will be made tight; but when the cylinder is elevatelhihes'e chains will be so` far slackened as t0 The slidin y-boxes are moved b Vmeans of chains extending from each end thereof, over suitable,fric

.tion-rollers,'to' drums on the shaft supportng't'he rearY ends of the carrying-arms, so as to be operated hy a revolution of said shaft produced at pleasure by a hand-Wheel or other device'.

' In the accompanying drawingbroken away, to disclose the slidillg'rbox, friction-rollers, and drum, on that side, by means whereof the cylinder it elevated or depressed; g

Figure 3, a side elevation of onevof the tractionwheels and of the cylinder, with a portieri. of the frame on the supporting-arm entirely broken away, disclosing the `toothed wheel on one end ot' thel cylinder carrying one of the driving-chains;

Figure 4, detached views, illustrating the manner of securing the plow-shares upoiLit-heir shaft or cyl- ,-inder; and Y lFigure 5, aY detached View ofthe mechanism for operating and controlling the shaft by which the cylinder lis partially supported, and is elevated or deprcssed.- A is a locomotive engine, tion, supported upon a guiding-wheel, D, and two large traction-wheels, B B. C is a revolving axle to which the traction-wheels are secured. I

Motion is imparted to this axle C, and the wheels are consequently driven, by means of suit-able gearing, connecting it with the driving-shaft E of the locomotive. f

firmly secured upon each endA of the axle O.

From these wheels motion is imparted to the plow-cylinder of the machine by means of open-link, endless chains, S S, meshing upoli the teeth of .said w'heels, and of smaller toothed wheels secured lugs. Y

G isthe revolving plow-shaft or cylinder;

'l T, (see iig. 3,) the toothed driving-wheels on the ends thereof; and

H H H, the plowshares secured thereto.

lhese shares are, by preference, each constructed of a form, the design whereof I have made the subject of' an application, now pending, `for Letters latent.A

They are secured upon the cylinderl G in longitudinal rows, as illnstratedin iig. 1, with their rear points of the shares in cach row, separated by regular intervals, shall all project in a common plane, passing through the axis of, the shaft or 'cylinder G, as seen in tig. 2.

I prefer to secure them each by-means of a triangular, dovetailed projection, a,.'on the cylinder, (see fig. 4,) which shall fit into a corresponding recess in the under side of the share, otherwise shaped toconform'accurately to the circumference of said cylinder, the share, when secured, being fastened by means of a' screw or bolt, b.

Each share may thus be readily detached for repair o1' replacement.

K K are the projecting arms, and

of any .suitable descrip- F F are large toothed wheelS of equal. diameter, I

upon the ends of the cylinder, inside of its bearbases in contact, and in a right line, so that the J J, curved frames upon Itheir rear ends, forming l part thereof', by which the cylinder G is supported in the :'car of the locomotive. f'

' z'wr'ud ends. ot these arms rest upon and o cxtreme ontcr ends oi' the axle C of the Their ends, carrying,- the curved frames J J,

hy means of a shalt, L, extendingr transversely from the one to the other, under the rear end of the platl'ornr ofthe locomotive, (see fig. 5,) and dotted lines, fig. l, this shalt L beine` itself` se curely supported by means ol' suitable bearingbrackets, 0 O, tig. 5, in which it revolves. lts ends project through the inner arms of' the curvedil'ames J J, as shown in figs. 3 and e.

llre cylinder G is made longer than the distance between the, tractilm-wlreels B B, so that while one end thereof is piaceri iu a plaire .coincident with the outer' elige ot' the` rim ol' the traction-wheel on the left of the. engine, the other end will project ont beyond the right-hand wheel far enough to bring the pointe of the outer plowshares thereon in a plaire either coincident with the inner edge oi the rinr of uuid wheel, as illustrated iu lig. l, or which shall extend inside. thereof.

To accommodate this extension of the cylinder' beyond tho 'right-hand wheel, the axle C is likewise extended ont beyond the wheel to a corresponding extent', (see lig. 1,) the toothed wheel F, and the supporting-bor K, for that end of the cylinder' being:r scoured' and supported at the end ol` the axle, as shown in iig. 1. 1

The outerarnr or outer'curve ot' euch fran're J J is slotted, as illustrated in figs. 2 -and 3, to receive the bearings of the cylinder G.

llrese hearings are formed in blocks or journalhoxes, M, (sce riff. 2,) which lit and slide accurately, yet easily, within these slots Ny N, and receive the gudgeons at the ends or' the cylinder on which-it revolves. A Between the frames J J and the ends ofthe cyliudcr G, the small toothed wheels .l, (see figs. 1 and 3,) are placed to receive the endless open-link driving chains S S, by lrieaus whereof the 'cylinder G is made to revolve when the locomotive is in motion.

Owing to the difference in diameter ol' the toothed wheels b on the axle, and l on the cylinder, the latter is made to revolve with manytiuies the rapidity ot' the former.

'.llre jourrraleboxes M M, carrying thecylinder, are supported in their slots El, and the cylinder G is elevated or depressed by means of chains, P P, secured to the top and bottoni or" Said boxes, and which extend thence over the' upper and lower friclion-rollers Q Q, iig. 2, secured in the trame J', above and below, and hack to a roller or drum, It, workingl in a slot in the frame, and secured upon the end ot' the shaft L extending through the same.

The ends of the chains P P are fastened to this drum R', so that by revolving the shaft L the one shall be wound up and the other uuwculad, drawing, thereby, the journal-boxes M, and, consequently, the cylinder' G, turning therein, up or down in the slots N, in which said boxes slide. i

The curve of these slots is such asythat the lowercnds thereof l'orrn'cach the arc of a circle, having the axis ofthe toothed wheel E or 1 as a center, said arc being in length equal to the extreme depth to which itis desired that the plowshares H, upon the cylinder, shall `enter the ground.

By this means the tension of the open-link chain S,`by' which the cylinder isdriven, remains the same i'rorn the time the plov/s reach the ground until they reach their greatest" depth, and their further depression is prevented ily tlre..terrnirration of the slots N.

adjusted by the hand.- "describcu, and also oy the ol' the plowshar Above this arc in the slots N E., however, 'the curve thereof corresponds o an arc ot' much smaller radins, so thatthe cylinder is elevated, and the toothed wheel T, thereon, is brought nearer t the. axis ol thc larger toothed wheel, and the di' ing- -the platform of the locomotive, operated by a handwheel and carrying ou its lower end a beveled spur. wheel, c, gearing into a counterpart wheel, d, on the shaft L, as illustrated in. lig. 5. f

The cylinder G is secured at any height when lifted up, hy means 'of a pawl, c, which engages a ratchet-wheel, g, on the shaft, and which. prevents a reverse nrovernentas the chains lifting the cylinder are drawn np.

A second pawl, f, engaging a second ratchet'- wheel, Il, on the saine shaft, having teeth inclinedv in a direction the reverse of the lirst, serves to hold the cylinder down when depressed, and thus prevent it from jumping-from the ground.

Both pawls are so arranged as to he operated by the foot of the prowman from the platform ot' the locomotive, as shown iu tig. 5; but the paw! c is held by a catch, fi, liga. l and 5, which prevents it from operating, except when the nature of the ground requires it, and it is therefore released and made to act hy fire plowmau. I

W lien this improved machine is not at worlt, ortis being moved from place to place, the. cylinder G is elevated hy means of the hand-wheel on the post U, so as to lil't its plnwslrares H H nl entirely abo've the ground, and it is prevented from/dropping back by the action ofthe pawl c ou the ratchet-wheel g.

When the cylinder is thus elevated -the drivingchains S `S are easily thrown o'tl fronrthe toothed drivinggvheels F F, so that while the locomotive is ,being driven to the tleld for work, the cylinder does not revolve but remains at rest.

Upon reaching the lield for work, the drivingclraius S S are thrown over the toothed wheels F l? and L L, and the cylinder, with its attached plows,

is allowed to drop by diseugaging the pawl c.

'lhe curved form of the slots N N, in which the journal-.ends of the cylinder move,.will cause these chains to tighten as the plowc appr il the ground The combined weight or" the cy.. der` and plows will snce to dive the plowshnres a tiran hold upo'n the ground.

So soon now as the lo'er'rnulivc is started, tho cylindcr G is made to revolve means of the drivingchains S S connecting it h 'the revolving axle of the traction-wheels lj B, carrying the locomotive, and the rows of' plow .-'rares are successively forced into and through the ground, turning it up and throwing it over with all the ninety and'prccision of an ordi nary plowbut to a far greater depth.

The depth ot' the 'plowing is regulated bythe height ot' the (.fylindei` above the ground, which heel U and pawl e, as above The number ot' rows oi plozvshures ou the refolving cylinder' is regulated entirely by the size ot' the. shares, and is reduced as their size is increased, or rice lversn.

As the cylinder is extended, so as to project beyon'd thc outer rim of the right-hand wheel, the track of said wheel is plowed up by the following shares, so

' that by ruuuingz,r this wheel close to the edge of ground already plowed the new iu .'ill Overlap it.

l.' claim as my inventionv 1. The arrangement of' a series of shares and moldboards with or upon a rotary shaft or'oylinder in two or more `parallel rows, so that the cutting-edges of the shares shall project therefrom radially, and: their points'in each rowfall be formed in a plane passing through the axis of the shaft, 'substantially iu the manner and for the purpose herein Set forth.

2. In combination with the sliding-boxes M M, carrying the journals of the shaft G of a rotary plow,` the chains P P and revolving shaft L, for operating the sameLsubstantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.

` 3. Curved slots, N N, formed in supporting frames J J, projecting from the carriage A, as guides for the sliding journal-boxes M M 0f a. rotary plovwthe vcurrature of each slot being such as to describe in its lengt-h arcs of different radii, for the purpose of loosening the chain when the cylinder is elevated, substautially as herein set forth. l

JAMES T., WILSON.

Witnesses:

J. 0. R. WILSON, DAVID A. BURR. 

